By Martha TeodoroMANILA — Two Protestant church councils in the Philippines condemned the terrorism financing conviction of journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio and lay worker Marielle Domequil. The United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) issued public statements on January 26 rejecting the conviction and urging its reversal. In a pastoral statement, the UCCP Council of Bishops (UCCP COB) expressed moral urgency over the convictions of Cumpio and Domequil. The NCCP said that Cumpio and Domequil have been detained for years. They reaffirmed solidarity with both women and faith-based communities advocating for their release, stressing that community work and journalism are not terrorism.